No More Pretending
by fluffygammawolf
Summary: After Bruce Banner is tortured and separated from the Hulk he realizes he doesn't have to pretend to be calm all the time. He realizes he can go after Ross and get angry with no consequences. After abandoning the Avengers he goes to find Ross only to be followed by the one and only Hawkeye. What could happen on a long journey where they have to be in close quarters? Hulkeye.
1. Chapter 1

Bruce couldn't believe it. Shield was gone. Hydra had more numbers than Bruce thought. Steve and Natasha were off trying to find the Winter Soldier. Bruce had run into the Soldier before and got away with a minor scar on his chest from where the soldier had shot him. Hulk had tried to smash him after that but the soldier had disappeared as quickly as he had appeared. This whole ordeal made Bruce uneasy, but he made himself take a deep breath and clear his mind as he focussed on his breathing. He focused on the pine scented incense he was burning as he meditated. He needed to clear his mind and calm down or else he could have an incident and ruin Stark's new tower. As his breathing slowed so did his worries about the situation. The feeling of Hulk stirring in the farthest regions of his mind began to fade away like a rolling thunderstorm. He let out a soft hum as he calmed down. _You can do this Bruce. It's just going to be an easy day just like all the rest. _He encouraged himself as he finally stood up with a small yawn. He shuffled over to his bathroom and began to tame his wild curls. Even though he liked his hair better long he wanted to make himself presentable. He always made sure he shaved everyday. He always wore a dress shirt and dress pants. He wanted to seem professional even if he was a mess on the inside. Bruce didn't want the team to know that about him. He didn't want the team to worry about him and he didn't want to be put in the limelight because when he was he got unreasonably nervous and worried which would make his heart rate rise which could lead to a hulk out. Bruce sighed deeply and began to shave as he focussed on the image in the mirror. Bruce always kept a peaceful mask on even when he could cry. He didn't let himself because if he did then his defenses to hold the Hulk back would crumble.

As Bruce changed into his favorite purple button up he looked down at the buttons sadly, remembering how his life used to be before the accident. Bruce could actually do things like go to a bar and drink coffee while he pulled an all nighter. He could get angry without the fear that he would turn into a giant green rage monster. Hell back then that wasn't even a thought he could comprehend! But nowadays that's all he worried about. What if the Hulk did this? What if the Hulk did that? And on and on and on. It was all Bruce could think about and the other members of the Avengers couldn't understand. Thor was always cheery and ready to give back breaking hugs or talk so loud it was like he was yelling, Bruce tried to avoid him as much as possible especially in the morning because Bruce was grumpy and he couldn't drink coffee and tea didn't help too much. Then there was Steve Rogers. Steve always seemed too kind or prickly when he was around Tony. Steve still tended to tiptoe around Bruce which was one of the quickest ways to get on Bruce's nerves, so Steve was another person Bruce tried to avoid being around too much. Natasha wasn't too bad but she was always so quiet and stone faced it made Bruce feel uneasy. Clint and Tony were idiots but they were his idiots and he could handle them. Sure they could be very very obnoxious at times but they were the only people who wouldn't tip toe around Bruce and they played jokes on him too. It made Bruce feel like a normal human being again.

He yawned as he made his way to the kitchen. It was early enough for tower to be mostly empty. Tony should be down in his mechanic lab or garage by now which would mean bruce could enjoy some peace and quiet while he enjoyed his morning tea. He rubbed his eye as he opened up the cabinet door where he kept his tea. He pulled out the mint tea box and frowned when he noticed there were no more tea bags. "How do I run out of tea." He muttered grumpily as he went back to his room. He threw on his shoes and grabbed some cash from his wallet, pulling on a sweater and then putting on a hat. Bruce hated going out in public but if he didn't have tea he'd be very irritable all day and it would just turn into a mess. He told JARVIS to inform Tony that he was going out to get tea and that he should be back in no time before leaving the tower. Bruce shoved his hands in his pockets and kept his eyes on the ground as he walked to the nearest grocery store. The crisp fall air tickled his nose, making him rub it. The traffic wasn't too bad yet and not a lot of people were walking the streets at seven in the morning. Bruce enjoyed days like this because there were less people around to worry about. He was caught up in his own thoughts as he walked into the quaint mom and pop shop he always went to, and as he browsed his way to the tea section he failed to notice he was being tailed. The man following him had short black hair and was in a black hoodie and dark jeans. He was a Hydra agent. As Bruce picked up some boxes of tea for himself he let out a surprised yelp and winced as he felt something go through his skin. His vision began to fade and spin around as the tranquilizer took effect. Bruce collapsed into the agents arms and only managed to hear, "Got him sir. The teams taking him to the truck. We'll be back at the base by the end of the day."

Bruce only remembered slight jostles and rough patches of road from there. He was kept heavily sedated and was only brought back to slight consciousness when he was strapped down by steel on a cold metal table. Bruce stirred slightly and shivered at the freezing metal beneath him. His eyelids felt like they weighed a ton each. His stomach churned as he began to stir more. A small thought priced through the thick fog that the tranquilizers had left in his mind, _where was he?_

Bruce didn't have to wait long for his answer when he heard an all too familiar voice say, "You used to be a lot harder to catch Banner." The smirk was evident in Ross's voice. "You know maybe it's because I used to be held back by government rules or maybe it's just cause you've gotten soft. You probably got used to life in that tower right? It made you forget what you did didn't it?" Ross's voice was rising to a shout. "You know Betty's death was your fucking fault!"

"Calm down general." A much calmer voice said. Bruce's eyes were still closed as he listened. "You will get your revenge soon enough. Then you'll have the beast under your control and we get the doctor. That was the agreement."

Ross was silent before replying quietly. "Fine. Deals a deal now hurry up with the prepping." He grumbled and Bruce could hear him start to stalk off. Bruce shivered again and tried to move, but every time he tried he was too exhausted. He could hear whoever was wiping his arm with an alcohol swab chuckle. "Do not try to struggle Dr. Banner. You will only make things worse for yourself." He was quiet for a moment before whispering into Bruce's ear, "After all we need your mind to be intact when we… re-educate. Hail Hydra." Bruce froze in fear and his heart thumped madly in his chest. Ross was teaming with Hydra? Separating Bruce from the Hulk? Bruce's breathing began to become erratic but the hydra man stuck him with another tranquilizer before anything could happen.

When Bruce began to regain consciousness again he noticed that something was strapped around his mouth. He tried to struggle but the restraints only dug into his skin even more. He squeezed his eyes shut in pain and bit his tongue to keep himself from crying out. He could hear the beeping of a heart monitor and the familiar, yet eerie, clinking of surgery tools on a metal prep table. Bruce now realized that what was over his mouth was a breathing mask that would force air in and out of him. When he opened his eyes he was nearly blinded by the surgery lights above him. _What are they going to do to me?_ Bruce's mind was reeling as he tried to ignore the gut wrenching pain that was radiating from his chest. He tried to struggle again weakly but stopped when the restraints seemed to pull at his skin. Bruce quickly looked around the room again and saw that the people that seemed like they were just preparing for surgery had blood on their latex gloves and blue cotton scrubs. Some of the blood was just a regular red but some was a dark green from when Bruce had nearly hulked out when he was unconscious. Bruce looked down at himself and tried to cry out but only air exited his mouth. There was a gaping hole in his chest. He could see his ribs peeking out from the curtain they had set up to obscure Bruce's vision of what they were doing. Bruce's stomach churned and he felt light headed as he began to fight against the restraints. He ignored the pain from his limbs and chest because he needed to get out of here. He needed to get out before… before they did something worse than this.

"Anesthetize him again." The doctor muttered, more than annoyed. Bruce could see a nurse grab another needle filled with some purple liquid Bruce could only assume was the anesthetic. He tried to struggle but he could barely move his arms, and he had to watch in horror as the nurse put the long needle in the crook of his arm and inject the anesthetic into his bloodstream. The effects took hold within seconds and Bruce fell back into the pits of unconsciousness. His body ached so much and he could hear the Hulk roaring to get out.

Bruce was barely handling the pain and slowly all the sounds and pain began to fade into darkness. It was quiet. Peaceful. Bruce yawned and opened his eyes. He smiled and looked over at Betty who was curled up against his chest. Bruce gasped slightly, wide eyed as he looked around the room. They were in the first place they had moved into together. It was a home made to look like a log cabin, but it was much more modern now. Bruce ran his hand through his hair as he tried to understand what was going on.

"Bruce? You okay?" He heard Betty's soft voice whisper.

Bruce looked back over to her and couldn't help but smile as he laid back down. "Yeah, yeah. I couldn't be better." He murmured as he kissed her gently. His hand gently brushed her soft brown hair behind her ear. He only looked up when their door opened and a little boy with brown curly hair and glasses waddled in with his glasses and teddy bear. "Daddy… can I snuggle too?" He asked quietly.

Bruce smiled and pulled back the covers, "Of course you can Ollie." He said softly. The little boy climbed in happily. He was wearing a purple t-shirt that said 'daddy's little chemist' and black pajama pants with puppies on them. Bruce laid back down and wrapped his arm around Oliver and Betty. "I love you guys."

Oliver giggled and snuggled against Bruce's chest. "I love you too Daddy."

Betty smiled softly and turned towards Bruce. "I love you too sweetie. Now let's all get some more rest it is only seven am on a Saturday." She chuckled lightly.

Bruce smiled and nodded as he closed his eyes. He was surrounded by the warmth of his family. He had never felt more at peace than he was right now, but he had a looming thought in the back of his mind that something was wrong. Bruce ignored it though. He never wanted this moment to end. He had his family now. They all slept for a couple hours more and when Bruce woke up next he smiled and place a gentle kiss on his son's forehead and put on his glasses before going to the kitchen to make them all pancakes. Halfway through flipping the next pancake he felt a little hand tug at his plaid pajama pants. Bruce looked down at Oliver and smiled.

"Daddy can I help?" he asked with a little giggle as he pushed his glasses up.

Bruce lifted Oliver up and set him on the counter, "Sure ya can. I need you to add the chocolate chips in for me while the pancakes cook."

Oliver smiled and nodded, already snacking on a chocolate chip. "We're gonna give mommy a surprise breakfast right?"

"Yep. Should we make her a heart shaped pancake?" Bruce asked as he ruffled his son's hair.

"Yeah! It'll be the biggest and bestest pancake in the world!" Oliver giggled as he sprinkled chocolate chips into the pool of pancake batter on the pan.

Bruce smiled at him and nodded before flipping the pancake over. "It will." He agreed. THe boys continued to cook pancake hearts until there was no more batter. Oliver was lifted off of the counter and he ran off to go grab his stool so that he could help his father rinse the dishes and put them in the dishwasher. Bruce smiled and set up a tray with a couple pancakes for Betty and a glass of orange juice on the side. He also had a small vase with a flower next to the orange juice. When Oliver came back they rinsed the dirty dishes and set them in the dishwasher before grabbing the butter and syrup. Bruce held the tray carefully as he carried it back to their bedroom. The hardwood floor was a little cold on his feet but he didn't mind. He was too happy to care. Oliver carefully opened the door for Bruce as he carried the syrup and butter.

"Mommy time to get up!" Oliver giggled excitedly.

Betty sat up with a yawn and smiled at her boys, "Wow, is all of this just for me?"

Oliver nodded as he and Bruce gave her the tray, syrup, and butter. "Daddy an I made you breakfast in bed cause we looooooove you mommy." He explained as he kissed her cheek.

Bruce smiled and kissed her cheek. "I thought you'd like this surprise."

Betty nodded and turned so that her lips caught Bruce's. "You thought right." She said with a small laugh as Oliver made a grossed out face when they kissed.

Bruce chuckled and ruffled his son's hair. "Well Ollie and I are going to get our plates ready too." He said as they began to walk back to the kitchen. Bruce helped Oliver onto the chair and gave him a glass of milk as he set down Oliver's plastic plate with a couple smaller heart pancakes. Oliver just grinned at his father before spreading some butter on his pancakes and drowning them in syrup. Bruce just chuckled softly and fixed his own plate before pouring himself some coffee. He sat next to Oliver and began to eat.

"Ollie these are amazing! What's your secret?" He asked with a chuckle.

"Chocolate!" Oliver replied happily as some syrup dripped down his cheek. Bruce just smiled and kissed his son's cheek before eating again.

Bruce was elated for the rest of the day. They all went out shopping for a new fake christmas tree and stopped for hot coco before going back home. They spent the rest of the day decorating the tree. Watching christmas movies by the fireplace, cuddling, and just having fun. Oliver fell asleep on the floor holding his teddy bear and Bruce draped the plaid blanket over him before sitting back down next to Betty and kissing her cheek.

"I love you Bruce." She said softly as she ran her hand through Bruce's short curls.

He smiled and gently ran his thumb down her cheek. "I love you too Betty." When she rested her head on his shoulder he smiled softly and pulled the soft blanket over them and rested his head on hers. His brows furrowed though as a dull pain began to radiate through his chest and head. He winced and tried to sit up, but it was like there was an elephant on his chest. His breathing began to become erratic and he opened his eyes only to find a dark, cell like room. His heart panged as he realized Betty had just been a dream. Tears began to threaten to fall from his eyes and he closed them tightly. He didn't want anyone from Hydra or Ross's military troop to see him cry. As he paid attention to the sounds in the room he realized that someone else was in the room with him. Bruce could hear their ragged breaths and Bruce's looked over to the origin of the sound. He bit his tongue and his eyes widened slightly when he saw the green figure leaning against the wall. Bruce quickly laid back down. How was this possible? H-How long had he been unconscious? What had they done to him to do this? How had they separated him from the Hulk?

Bruce froze when he heard the loud, grumbling voice say, "I know you're awake Banner." Bruce was surprised that the Hulk was even able to speak.

"Y-you do?" Bruce's voice was hoarse and it hurt to speak. He winced slightly when he realized the green behemoth had been watching him this entire time.

"I'm not an idiot." Hulk grumbled again. "How bad are you hurt?" The question sounded concerned and sincere.

Bruce's brows furrowed and he didn't quite know how to respond. He knew he was hurt he could feel it, but he was so confused and dazed from the dream he had just woken from that he didn't know how to respond. He frowned and made himself sit up, a small pained sound escaping himself. He heard the Hulk grumble at the sound but Bruce ignored him as he looked down at himself so that he could assess his injuries. There was a large bandage covering his chest. It was covered in dried blood Bruce guessed that Hulk wasn't letting anyone come into the room to change his dressings. Bruce's arms were also covered in bandages and he winced as a small memory reappeared in his mind. He was thrashing against the surgeons and nurses, the IV needle and Anesthetic needle ripping through his skin as he did so. Bruce shuddered and closed his mouth tightly, breathing through his nose as he tried not to throw up. He went to run his hand through his hair but paused when his hand touched his head. His had been shaved off he suspected and it was starting to grow back. Bruce assumed he looked like he had a buzz cut now. He could also feel the rough bandage on his head. Burning tears ran down his stubbled cheeks as another memory burst into his mind. He'd woken up again during the surgery. His chest was still open but his head hurt. It burned... they were doing something to his mind and it burned! Bruce didn't realize that what they had done was implant the dream of Betty and Oliver.

Hulk's voice broke through his thoughts, "I tried to come out... I would have stopped them if I could have Banner..."

Bruce just turned away from him and quickly wiped his tears. "So what I'm just going to be their guinea pig now? They come in offer you freedom from me on the condition that I stay!" He yelled as his voice cracked. He could feel his anger boiling in his stomach and he quickly made himself calm down, not yet understanding that with the Hulk separated from him there was no consequence for his anger.

Hulk looked away from Bruce. "You don't get it do you? I've been trying to protect you from the day I was made. Yeah I'm angry. I get that you hate me okay? I didn't ask to be made I just was, we used to be friends if you remember. I doubt you would though Banner. You don't really remember being a child."

Bruce just muttered darkly, "Can't blame me for not wanting to remember can you?" It was silent after that. Bruce felt guilty for snapping at the Hulk but he also didn't. It felt good to finally get that off of his chest. Ha. Ironic pun, he thought to himself. It was true Bruce barely remembered living alone with his father. He didn't remember that as a child Hulk had been his imaginary friend. He didn't remember that he had shoved his unwanted childhood memories onto the Hulk. Bruce laid back down and stared at the cement ceiling, pulling the thin red sheet over himself. He didn't care if it had the Hydra logo on it. He didn't care about anything right now. He just wanted to slip back into unconsciousness and hope that he could slip back into his dream with Betty. He had no such luck though because only mere minutes after he laid down he could hear an explosion from one of the floors above him and fighting. He glanced at Hulk and winced.

Hulk just smirked a little. He knew that their friends were here to rescue them. He quickly swung Bruce over his shoulder, the red blanket falling to the ground as he did so. Bruce let out a pained sound but just let himself be carried. He was too tired to struggle against story. He was too tired to really care why there was a sudden change in Hulk's mood.

Hulk was careful not to let any debris hit Bruce as he smashed his way up the floors to the fighting. His smirk grew as they got closer and closer. He knew that once they were with the team again tin man would get Bruce out of here and Hulk could smash Hydra and Ross as much as he wanted.

"Look its Hulk!" He heard the Captain's voice yell.

"What's he carrying?" Spider's voice, Hulk recognized.

"Holy shit its Banner..." That was Birdy's voice. Hulk knew it the best because Banner liked how funny he could act. It was like Tin Man's voice. They both treated Banner and Hulk like normal people.

"Get Banner out now!" Hulk roared as he passed off the weakened man to Tin Man.

Tony just nodded and quickly flew out of the facility with Bruce in his arms. He flew them to the quinjet and gently rested him on a bed. "Bruce. Hey Bruce wake up. Can you hear me?" Tony asked as he gently tapped Bruce's face.

Bruce groaned a little and his brows furrowed. "Tony?" his voice sounded astonished.

"Yeah its me buddy. What the hell did they do to you?" Tony's brows furrowed angrily.

Bruce frowned and looked down at his bandages, "I-I just... I don't want to talk about it." he murmured as he curled away from his friend. Bruce's voice sounded shaky and as if he might cry at any moment. Tony just nodded and went towards the entrance of the jet to watch for the other Avengers. Tony's fists were clenched and he was ready to fight off any Hydra dick that got close to the jet.

As the other Avengers got into the jet again there was an awkward silence as the Hulk followed them. He was shrinking down to a more human size and Tony raised a brow. "Human Hulk?"

Hulk jut rolled his green eyes and ran his hand through his black hair. "It's new. Get used to it." He grumbled. He looked a lot like Bruce but also different. Surprisingly Hulk was shorter but he was more muscular and less hairy in the chest area.

Clint sighed and rested his cheek on his hand. "This sucks. Not human you just… I'm going to kill every Hydra bastard. No one tortures my friends for months." He grumbled again. Natasha just rubbed his back slightly, glancing at Hulk. No one was sure how to react to this situation so they all silently agreed not to.

When Bruce woke up in the tower in his room his eyes were wide and he winced. Fresh bandages, he noticed. He quickly shuffled into the bathroom and threw up the contents of his stomach. He never got sick… but now was different wasn't it.


	2. Chapter 2

Bruce was holding his stomach as his head rested on the toilet seat. Everything hurt now. He was beginning to fall asleep again when he heard Jarvis say, "Dr. Banner, the Hulk is coming in to see you." Bruce sighed and made himself look at the door to the bathroom. His brows raised a little when he saw a normal looking guy walking into his room. As he looked closer Bruce was beginning to recognize the Hulk's features. "Holy shit..." he muttered under his breath.

Hulk sighed and walked into the bathroom. He picked Bruce up without even asking and began to carry him to the bed. "You should know better than to get out of bed with injuries like yours. You are a doctor." He admonished with a small grumble.

Bruce just looked away darkly, "Well would you rather have me puke on the floor?" He asked quietly with a hoarse voice.

"Actually yeah. Anyways, stay in bed drink water and eat. I'm getting you a bucket to puke in." Hulk rolled his eyes as he set Bruce back into the bed. "Take it easy okay. You may be used to self destructive behavior but you can't pull shit like that anymore. You can get hurt."

Bruce raised a brow before curling away from Hulk. It was too weird. He was too tired to deal with it. Bruce just let out a hitched sigh and closed his eyes, falling into a light sleep. Every breath hurt like hell, but Bruce had gotten used to pain a long time ago. When he was asleep it was the only time he looked peaceful, unless he was having a nightmare, but right now he was in that perfect state where he was asleep and there were no dreams to haunt him. He was oblivious to the fact that Hulk was still in the room, or that anyone was in the room at all.

Hulk sighed softly and rubbed the back of his head. Bruce was like a little brother to him, an annoying little brother but still his brother. Yes he was mad at Bruce for trying to get rid of him any chance he could get, but Hulk knew why. He was connected to Bruce's thoughts after all. He began to walk out of Bruce's room, making sure the crackers, water bottles, and trash bin were close enough to Bruce so that he wouldn't have to move when he noticed Birdy, he needed to learn their real names, in the vents again. He gave him a stern look and motioned for him to come out.

Clint sighed and quietly climbed out of the vents. "Just wanted to keep an eye on him." He muttered quietly.

Hulk nodded. "I know but Banner likes being alone. Specially' when he's been hurt." He explained as they walked out.

Bruce woke up a few hours later and winced as he clutched at his stomach. He looked over the side of the bed, noticed the bucket, and heaved again. God he hated this. He hated being sick. He hated that his chest felt like it was on fire every time he breathed in. He hated that he was practically helpless right now. He just wanted to scream and punch the walls like he could when he was a little kid, but he made himself take deep shaky breaths to calm himself down, not realizing that he didn't have to calm down because there was no threat of a Hulk out. He shakily grabbed a water bottle and used to to rinse out his mouth before drinking some more, only to throw up again less than a minute later.

Clint had gone back into the vents and saw that Bruce was throwing up. He carefully made his way out and jumped down in the hallway before knocking on Bruce's door. "You okay in there Doc?" He called through the door

"Oh yeah just peachy." Bruce croaked as he laid back down after wiping his mouth.

"Um... want me to get you like uh... uh fever medicine or whatever?" He asked as he rubbed the back of his head.

There was a pause before Bruce replied tiredly, "Yes please..."

Clint quickly went to find Cap, he'd know where the medicine was. Clint sighed again as he waited for the elevator to open up to the gym floor. He was worried about Bruce. Clint could tell from the moment he met the mild mannered doctor that something was lurking in him, not the Hulk. It was more than that. Clint could never put his finger on it, but he knew someone could never be as calm as Bruce was without being 'medicated' or they were faking it. He knew Bruce wasn't medicated, so that only left one option. Clint had been a bit of a snoop when the Avengers first got together. He looked into everyone's files, familiarized and memorized their pasts just to be safe. He knew about Bruce's father. He knew about Betty Ross. The one quote in the files that always stood out to him was that when Shield had debriefed Betty after the whole Harlem ordeal she just said, "He's so different than he was before the accident..." Now Clint knew there were plenty of reasons as to why Bruce changed, but he had a feeling that Bruce had been putting on a mask when he was around the Avengers because he was scared that if he didn't something bad would happen. Clint was brought out of his thoughts when he heard the elevator ding and the doors opened up.

"Yo, Cap! Where do we keep the cold medicine?" Clint asked, raising his voice above the music.

"Uh, in one of the cabinets in the kitchen above the stove. Why?" Steve asked as he made the punching bag stop for a moment and brushed his blond hair from his eyes.

"Nothin you need to worry about. Thanks." Clint replied quickly before running back into the elevator. He hoped that as time went on Bruce would start to peek out from behind his mask. When the elevator opened again he rushed past Tony, who was sipping his fifth glass of coffee that morning.

"What's the rush Legolas?" He asked with a raised brow

Clint just ignored him and grabbed the cold medicine for Bruce and a gel pad that said would help with fevers. Clint had been the one to change Bruce's bandages once he had been brought back to the tower. Clint was actually pretty good with doctor stuff because he always watched what the doctors did when he was hurt. Clint walked into Bruce's room and helped him sit up. "This stuff should help you feel better. I heard Jarvis'll make you chicken soup or whatever for lunch so that's good." He said as he put the patch on Bruce's forehead.

Bruce nodded tiredly and shivered when the patch was on his forehead. He forced himself to take the medicine before curling up under the blankets again. "Thanks..." He murmured as he closed his eyes.

"No problem Doc, I mean it's what you'd do for any of us so I thought I'd return the favor." Clint smiled and rubbed the back of his head. "Want me to go?" When he saw Bruce give him a weak nod Clint left with a quiet sigh.

Bruce sighed sadly when he heard Clint leave. Bruce knew Clint was only trying to help, but Bruce didn't want any help. It made him feel weak and useless. That's what he was now, though. Without the Hulk there was nothing really important he could do. They had Tony for the science aspect and now that they had Hulk too Bruce was just kind of extra baggage. He used to at least feel important because he would be the one to let the Hulk out to help. Bruce would do it anytime they needed the Hulk even if it meant he got sick because he did it too many times. Bruce never cared about his own health because he had the Hulk's healing factor, well... he'd had the Hulk's healing factor. Now Bruce could get hurt just like every other normal human being. He made himself stop dwelling on it and to try and get some sleep. This time his sleep was haunted though. Flashes of memories flooded into his mind. Surgery tools. Pain. "_Stop it! Please... please just stop!" It was Bruce's own voice as he cried out. He could see the tips of his ribs peeking out, but his restraints kept him from sitting up or moving at all. Burning tears streamed down his face as he looked up at Ross's masked face. _

"_Sir... this isn't right. He's in pain..." One of the nurses murmured._

"_You want to go soft on this monster? Do you know how many people he's killed?" Ross growled. "He will kill you if we don't do this. We extract the green part of him and he's left defenceless. Now shut up and keep going."_

"_Yes sir." The nurse murmured and looked down before continuing to operate on Bruce._

Bruce's eyes snapped open when he felt someone shaking him gently. He was gasping for breath even though it was like fire to his chest. Tears were threatening to fall out as he looked up at the person shaking him.

"Doctor Banner are you okay?" It was Steve's voice. As Bruce's vision began to clear up he noticed the other's standing behind Steve. Bruce let out a shaky sigh and nodded quickly.

"M'fine..." He murmured and looked away. He was guessing that he cried out in his sleep and either it was really loud and they all heard it, which would explain why they were here, or Jarvis alerted them.

Clint noticed Bruce's discomfort and began to escort the others out, "Alright you heard the man. He's fine. Lets give him some breathing space." The others began to shuffle out almost unwillingly. They were all worried about Bruce.

Clint lingered behind and closed the door when everyone else had left. "I need to change your bandages and check your stitches. I think one mighta popped." He explained as he looked at Bruce's shaking frame.

Bruce just nodded and wiped his eyes, "Kay... was I really that loud?"

"Yeah... you scared us, but uh it's okay now cause you're okay. You're just on the mend. I remember when I first got my ribs broken man that was bad. Felt like fire every time I breathed and sneezing? Don't even get me started on sneezing." He chuckled as he carefully began to remove the old bandages. "I felt useless... but I wasn't and neither are you Doc. Just cause you don't turn into a big green guy anymore doesn't mean you're not still important to the team." Clint stopped talking when he saw that Bruce was tensing up because of it.

Bruce didn't reply and let Clint finishing taking off the old bandages on Bruce's chest. Bruce glanced down at his own chest and winced when he saw the long line of stitches running up it. The skin was red and irritated, a few of the stitches had burst and were bleeding slightly. Bruce heard Clint sigh and rummage through the first aid kit to grab a needle and some stitching wire.

"Um... this might hurt." Clint sighed as he wormed the wire through the whole at the end of the needle.

Bruce sighed as he looked away, "I've been through worse, so go ahead." Clint nodded and began to restitch the areas that needed it. Bruce winced slightly but stayed quiet. His stomach was churning like an angry sea. He did not want to puke again. It hurt like hell and it could pop another stitch. He kept his mouth closed with a slow sigh. Once Clint had finished he ran a medical wipe over the area and cleaned it up before beginning to wrap Bruce's chest in fresh bandages.

"There you go. All patched up for now. I'll bring you some soup when you're ready and I'll need to change those again before you go to bed." Clint said with a forced smiled as he began to clean up the mess he made.

Bruce murmured a thanks and curled up again under his plaid comforter. He kept his eyes off of Clint. He didn't really think he could handle anything at the moment. He usually did have nightmares, but he had never cried out in his sleep before. He guessed it was because before he had to worry about the Hulk even in his sleep, and now he didn't. As he thought this a realization blossomed in his head. He didn't have the Hulk anymore. He could get angry and yell. He didn't have to worry about the threat of having a Hulk out. He didn't have to pretend to be this really calm and mild mannered man anymore. There was nothing to hold him back except himself.

"Seriously though Bruce, are you going to be okay?" Clint asked as he paused in the doorway.

Bruce nodded and gave Clint a weak smile; he would have tried for a bigger one but he really was in pain. He couldn't stop thinking about the possibilities now. No one would care about his whereabouts when news spread that he and the Hulk were separate entities now. Bruce would be able to travel without fear of being hunted by the american government. He'd probably still be sought after by Hydra for his mind but Hydra was easy to duck. He began to hatch a plan to take down Ross. Ross who started his chase in the first place. Ross who made him a fugitive. Ross who chased him across the globe. Ross who forbade Bruce from ever seeing Betty again. He couldn't stand by idly anymore and let Ross do that to anyone else. Bruce frowned when he realized none of the other Avengers would help him. They didn't condone killing, mostly. He wouldn't pull Tony into something like that, Natasha was too secretive for Bruce to trust her. Hulk trusted her though for some reason Bruce didn't understand. Whenever Thor was around Bruce tried to avoid him because he would not hesitate to give anyone and everyone an Asgardian bear hug. Steve obviously wouldn't condone this sort of thing, or at least that's what Bruce took away from Steve's goody two shoes vibe. Then there was Clint, but again Bruce wasn't willing to drag the archer into something like this. Bruce wouldn't put the only two people he considered friends in danger because of some personal grudge Bruce held against Ross. Bruce's eyes began to drift shut as he thought. He curled up under the large comforter and let himself sleep again. Bruce was exhausted and without the increased speed of healing his body was used to it was very important that he got a lot of rest.

Clint sighed and rubbed his forehead as he walked out of the room. He'd always felt protective over Bruce. He couldn't help it. The guy was shorter and he always just seemed like he could break at any second. Plus with his history Clint couldn't help but see a part of himself in Bruce. What he was beginning to notice though, was that something like this would drive any normal man mad. Bruce was a lot stronger than his short frame made people think. Something was different now too. Clint had never really heard Bruce use sarcasm before, so when he had been talking to Hulk when Clint was hiding in the vents Clint was surprised with how sarcastic Bruce had been. He wondered if that was really what Bruce was holding back every time he opened his mouth. Clint actually thought Bruce using sarcasm was hilarious. Everyone was so used to calm, shy seeming Bruce who rarely spoke up and seemed like he had such a good hold on the Hulk. Clint finally glanced up when he saw someone's feet in front of him. It was Hulk.

"I think it's time I learned your real name." Hulk said matter of factly. Since the Hulk only came out in combat situations he only knew the Avengers code names. He had already asked the other's for their names.

Clint just nodded, "Clint Barton, so uh must be weird having a human body now right?"

Hulk just nodded and wrote down Clint's name next to the nickname Hulk had given him. "Yeah a little weird. I'm just glad I don't break everything I touch at the moment its really nice. How was Banner?" He asked as concern crossed his face.

"He's... okay. A little upset and some popped stitches but his fever seems to be going down which is good. He should be able to be up and moving around in no time." He paused before looking into the man's green eyes. "You really do care about him don't you?"

Hulk sighed and nodded, "He may be annoying and self destructive at times but he's like a little brother to me. I never let anything happen to him before this... it's just Ross and Hydra teamed up and combined the sedatives that worked to keep me suppressed and I couldn't come out until it was too late."

Clint nodded as he listened, "Well I think you should take some time off from being mister protector every single second. Bruce's a big boy he can take care of himself."

Hulk sighed, "I know he can but he doesn't. That's what worries me."

"Well he has all of us to protect him now, so don't worry too much about it. You should go out and explore the world. Go visit a shelter and pet some dogs, I know that makes me feel better." Clint suggested with a small smirk. "I best be off though, I gotta get Jarvis to make some chicken noodle soup for sleeping beauty."

Hulk's brow furrowed in confusion.

"Oh right. Well we'll all have a movie marathon and get you caught up on all of the good movies you missed." Clint explained as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Alright. Thank you Clint." Hulk replied and tried out a small smile. It looked a little off but Clint couldn't blame him. It wasn't like Hulk had gotten a lot of time to smile during the fights.

"No problem big guy." Clint smiled and patted Hulk's shoulder before walking into the kitchen to make some soup for Bruce. Soup and pizza or anything that only needed to be put in the oven was about the extent of Clint's cooking. He knew it wasn't the widest of cooking ranges but he wasn't the only superhero that couldn't cook. The only Avenger that they knew could cook was Steve, Bruce could cook but no one really knew about it because Bruce never cooked. They all just assumed that he was a horrible cook just like the rest of them. When the soup was done he poured it into a bowl and carefully walked it back to Bruce's room. When he opened the door he was surprised to see that Bruce was awake and on his lap top.

"I brought you soup. Want me to set it on the table?" Clint asked with a slightly raised brow.

"Yes please." Bruce said with a nod.

"You know you really should be asleep. Resting would help you feel better faster." Clint added as he set the soup down.

Bruce sighed. "I did sleep for a few minutes then I woke up. I'll sleep when I feel like sleeping." It came out a little more harsh than Bruce had wanted it to.

"Fine then grumpy gills. When I come to change your bandages that soup and that water bottle that you barely drank from better be empty." Clint said as he walked out the door.

Bruce sighed and shook his head, but couldn't help the small smile that spread across his lips. He set his laptop aside and began to eat the soup carefully. It actually made his stomach stop churning as much, and on top of it Bruce hadn't realized how hungry he had been until he started eating. He grabbed the crackers Hulk had brought in earlier and crumbled them into his soup. He knew the others must be worried about him, but at the moment he really did want to be left alone. He wasn't going to be staying long anyways. Once he was out of the stitches he was going to go after Ross. He didn't need anyone else's help for it. He'd done much more dangerous things before, granted he had the Hulk then and all of the benefits he had from that were gone, he could still do it. Bruce Banner wasn't a weak man, and Bruce wasn't going to let Ross walk free any longer. Bruce knew it would be a little tougher with his one deaf ear from the blast when he was first infused with the gamma, being joined with the Hulk prevented the deafness until now, and his bad knee was back but hell he'd ridden a bike to work every day for years with his bad knee before the accident. This wouldn't be too hard.

When the soup was gone he set it aside and began to make a list of what he would need for this trip. He was also hatching ideas for some of the tools he would need to make to help him get in. Surprisingly Ross's "secret" base wasn't that hard for Bruce to find. He just used the location of the last base and cross referenced the tire tracks from Ross's jeep with a very similar set of tracks and followed that trail with the satellite imaging. Bruce's fist clenched slightly when he found the base. It would take him at least a week to be able to be in good enough health to leave without having to worry about his stitches or throwing up. One more week and he could finally take down Ross. Bruce didn't care if it was wrong. He didn't care that he would be marking himself as a threat to the American military again. He couldn't stand by and let Ross do this to anyone else because Bruce had nothing left to lose now. If he was captured there was nothing that Ross could get from him. Bruce let out a small huff of a laugh. Bruce knew the chances of himself dying were very high. Like he thought before he had nothing to lose, and anyways the Avengers still had the Hulk so it wasn't like they were going to be losing a big part of their team. Bruce himself was never that much help anyways. He was the one who sat in the labs next to Tony trying to figure out a way to get rid of the Hulk. He was the one who rarely talked and was rarely talked to because everyone tended to step around him out of fear that he would Hulk out or something. The reality was that Bruce was tired of being treated like some husk of a man, easily ripped off to reveal the thing everyone wanted. Now Bruce was left by himself. No Hulk in his head. No Hulk out threat ever again. Bruce's jaw clenched slightly in anger, this time he let it fester inside of himself. He let that anger boil until it was just about to blow the lid off. He was going to save this rage for Ross. He was going to channel it and use it to kill the man who had hunted and tortutred him for years upon years. Ross was not going to get away from Bruce. Now it was Bruce who was hunting Ross, and Ross would have no clue as to what was coming for him because everyone was so caught up in worrying about what the Hulk would do they never stopped to think about what Bruce could do. They never stopped to realize that the Hulk was only brought out by _Bruce's _anger or that Bruce knew how to survive and live in almost every continent. Everyone, even Ross, wrote Bruce off as a pathetic man who could be forgotten about.

Bruce smirked to himself again as he planned. He was going to prove that he was a force to be reckoned with. He was going to prove that he too was something to fear. He would prove that he wasn't useless. That's how everyone thought of him right? What Bruce didn't know is that no one on the team thought he was useless. Bruce didn't know or even really care that the team would do anything to keep him safe, especially Clint. Bruce only knew how to suppress every emotion except anger, so he'd never really realized he had feelings for Clint, and Clint always wrote his feelings off as those of a concerned friend.

The next morning Bruce woke up with a wince, still stiff in the chest but it hurt less than the last day. He didn't feel sick anymore so he slowly got up and out of bed, threw on a baggy t-shirt and shuffled out to the kitchen. He was still in the plaid pajama pants someone had put him into when he got back to the tower. Bruce assumed it was the Hulk. Once he reached the overstocked kitchen he reached for his tea before he realized he didn't have to worry about the Hulk. He smiled a little and began to make his first cup of coffee in years.


End file.
